Petfood preparation apparatus with food identification system

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for preparing pet food has a base and a lid. The base is engageable with a container of the pet food and the lid is moveable relative to the base between an open state for allowing engagement and disengagement of the container and a closed state for preventing disengagement. The apparatus includes a scanner for reading a pet food identifier on the container. The scanner is adapted to read the pet food identifier and provide it to a controller. The controller is adapted to obtain food preparation parameters from an external database and to cause the apparatus to then prepare the pet food according thereto.

FIELD

The present invention is related to pet feeding. More specifically, theinvention is related to a device for preparing warm and moist meals topets and to means by which the device can automatically recognize thefood to be prepared and adjust its preparation according thereto.

BACKGROUND

A common and age-old problem is that pets, especially dogs, love warmmoist meals. And we, feeling that our pets are like our children, loveto pamper them. Our pets love what we eat, and we love to feed them whatthey love. Much of that might be because they see us eating moist warmaromatic meals, and they wish to emulate us, but then we serve them drypebbly things that, while probably healthy enough for them, are nothinglike what we are serving ourselves. While we sometimes serve them moistfood from cans, it is just not the same as what we are eating, and theyknow the difference. And fresh food made from wholesome human-qualityingredients is always healthier than whatever is in those cans and bags,and we know the difference. If dogs are truly “man's best friend”, thenthey deserve to be treated as such and to eat the way we do . . . warmmoist healthful meals that smell and taste fresh and delicious. And thesame applies to cats and other cherished pets.

Efforts have been made to satisfy our desire to pamper our pets withwarm meals by the marketing of pet food with instructions to add hotwater, stir, and serve. But such products have proven to require toomuch effort and time and have therefore failed to take hold in themarketplace. Some pet owners take it upon themselves to add water to drypet food and warm it in a microwave, or to spoon canned pet food into abowl and warm it in a microwave, but few pet owners are devoted enoughto go to so much effort, and frankly, warmed pet food smells terrible,and accentuates the poor quality of and lack of freshness in itsingredients. Anyone who has smelled canned dog food hot out of themicrowave knows how unappealing it is. And anyone who has gone to thetrouble of heating their pets' meals on a stove or in a microwave knowsthat is takes on average fifteen minutes, and that those seem like thelongest fifteen minutes of the day, as their pets wait patiently,drooling profusely, nearby.

There is the need, and it may be an objective of the invention, toprovide a simple appliance that creates warm moist fresh and healthfulmeals for pets. There is the additional need, and it may be anadditional objective of the invention, to create such warm moist freshand healthful meals for pets quickly. There is the additional need, andit may be an additional objective of the invention, to provide a simplesystem for creating such quick warm moist fresh and healthful meals forpets. There is the additional need, and it may be an additionalobjective of the invention to provide a simple method for creating suchquick warm moist fresh and healthful meals for pets. There is theadditional need, and it may be an additional objective of the invention,to provide a simple method for creating such quick warm moist fresh andhealthful meals for pets using a simple appliance and/or system. Thereis the additional need, and it may be an additional objective of theinvention to provide an appliance, system and/or method wherein the foodis prepared optimally and differently according to its ingredients.There is the additional need, and it may be an additional objective ofthe invention to provide an appliance, system and/or method wherein theingredients are automatically recognized, and the food is automaticallyprepared optimally and differently according thereto. There is theadditional need, and it may be an additional objective of the inventionto provide an appliance, which automatically recognizes the ingredientsof a pet food and automatically prepares the pet food optimally anddifferently according to those ingredients. Further needs and objectiveswill become apparent upon perusal of the disclosure herein.

SUMMARY

The herein disclosed exemplary appliances, and equivalents thereto,combine cool or warm water, and sometimes steam, with specially suitedpet food, including the stirring thereof when needed, to provide a warmmoist fresh healthful delicious and aromatic meal for a pet, whichemulates the types of meals the pet's master serves himself or herself.The herein disclosed exemplary appliances include means for scanning thepackage in which the pet food is supplied to determine its ingredients,including the quantity and type thereof, and to automatically adjust theprocess by which the food is moistened, warmed, and stirred accordingthereto.

The invention may be embodied by or practiced using an apparatusengageable with a container of pet food for preparing the pet food andcomprising a water source, a water pump, and a water heater. Thecontainer may include a code which is unique to the contents of thecontainer and the apparatus may include means for reading the code andaltering its functions according to a program associated with the codeto ensure that the preparation is optimized according to the uniquecontents.

The water pump may cause a first amount of water to flow to the heaterwhere the first amount is heated and then may cause the heated firstamount to flow and be stirred into the pet food whereby the pet food isheated to a first temperature and moistened to a first moistness level.A timer may provide a first steeping period after the first amount hasflowed into the pet food. The water pump may cause a second amount ofwater to flow to the heater after the first steeping period. The secondamount may be heated and the pump may cause the heated second amount toflow and be stirred into the pet food whereby the pet food is heated orcooled to a second temperature and moistened to a second moistnesslevel.

The timer may provide a second steeping period after the second amounthas flowed into the pet food. The apparatus may include a readyindicator, wherein the ready indicator may be activated after the secondsteeping period to indicate that the pet food is properly heated andmoistened for serving. The water source may be a refillable water tank.

The apparatus may include a piercer for piercing the container to allowaccess to the food therein. The apparatus may include a user accessiblelever for activating the piercer. The piercer may be a spout incommunication with the water pump and adapted to both pierce thecontainer and enable the first and second amounts to flow there-throughand into the pet food.

The amounts, temperatures, and steeping periods may be altered by theapparatus according to pre-programmed data, or data retrieved from awebsite such as by direct or wireless connection of the apparatus to theInternet, or data retrieved by wireless communication with a remotedevice that is connected to the Internet, or data retrieved from aremote device on which it is stored.

The apparatus may alternatively include a controller enabling user inputof a food container size or a food type. The controller may communicatewith the water pump to control one or both of the first and secondamounts according to the user inputted food container size. The firstand second amounts may be variable by the controller according to theinputted food container size. The first temperature may be overapproximately 140 F. The second temperature may be between approximately95 F and 105 F.

The apparatus may alternatively include a motor-driven turntable, a foodbowl engageable with and removable from the turntable, and a stationarystirrer. Activation of the piercer may cause the food to fall from thefood container into the food bowl. The turntable may cause the food bowlto rotate and the stationary stirrer to stir the food in the rotatingbowl during the first and second steeping periods. The apparatus mayinclude a ready indicator, wherein the ready indicator may be activatedafter the second steeping period to indicate that the pet food isproperly heated and moistened for serving.

The water source may be a refillable water tank. The apparatus mayinclude a user accessible lever for activating the piercer. The piercermay be a blade adapted to cause a partially annular cut through the foodcontainer. The apparatus may include a controller enabling user input offood container size. The controller may communicate with the water pumpto control one or both of the first and second amounts according to theuser inputted food container size.

The invention may alternatively be embodied by or practiced using amethod of preparing a meal for a pet. The method may include determiningthe contents of the food container through either manual input or byreading a code on the food's container. The method may include addingwater of a first temperature to the pet food from the group includingfreeze dried meat, vegetable and grain, dehydrated meat, vegetable andgrain, and raw meat, vegetable and grain.

The method may include steeping the food/water mixture for at least 30seconds. The method may include adding hot water of a lesser than 140 Ftemperature to the steeped mixture of a temperature such that themixture becomes 95 F to 105 F. The method may include stirring thesteeping food/water mixture. The method may include stirring the lesshot water and steeped food/water mixture.

The invention may alternatively be embodied by or practiced using anapparatus engageable with a container of pet food for preparing the petfood and including a water source, a water pump, a water heater, atimer, and an indicator. The water pump may cause a first amount ofwater to flow to the heater where the first amount is heated to overapproximately 140 F and then may cause the heated first amount to flowinto the pet food whereby the pet food is heated and moistened. Thetimer may monitor a first steeping period after the first amount hasflowed into the pet food. The water pump may cause a second amount ofwater to flow to the heater and be heated to a second temperature. Thesecond amount may flow into the pet food to cool and further moisten thesteeped pet food. The indicator may be actuated to indicate that the petfood is properly heated and moistened for serving. The timer may thenmonitor a second period after the second amount has flowed into thesteeped pet food and before the indicator is actuated. The secondtemperature may be such that the food properly heated and moistened forserving is 95 F to 105 F.

The invention may alternatively be embodied by or practiced using anapparatus engageable with a container of pet food for preparing the petfood and having a steam generation chamber, a heater, a scannerconfigured to read a pet food identifier on the container, a conduit forliquid communication from the steam generation chamber to the container,a fluid transfer device in fluid communication with the steam generationchamber, and a controller. The scanner may be adapted to communicate theread pet food identifier to the controller. The controller may beadapted to obtain or determine from the read pet food identifier a steamvolume and a steeping time. The fluid transfer device may be adapted toselectively enable or deliver a volume of water to the steam generationchamber. The heater may be adapted to heat the volume of water in thesteam generation chamber into steam. The conduit may be adapted toselectively deliver the determined steam volume from the steamgeneration chamber to the container. The controller may be adapted tocontrol the heater and the fluid transfer device. And the controller maybe adapted to do one or both of disable the apparatus and causeindication that the food is prepared at the end of the determinedsteeping time.

The controller may adapted to obtain the steam volume and the steepingtime wirelessly from an external database.

The apparatus may further include a piercer adapted for piercing thecontainer and the steam volume may be delivered to the container throughthe piercer.

The apparatus may have a base adapted to support the container and a lidmovable relative thereto from a closed state wherein the container maynot be removed from the base and an open state wherein the container maybe removed from the base. The apparatus may have a latch to selectivelylock the lid in the closed state. The lid may house the piercer andmovement of the lid from the open state to the closed state may causethe piercer to pierce the container. The conduit may also include thepiercer.

The base may house the scanner. The pet food identifier may be one froma group of authorized codes, and the apparatus may be adapted to disablethe heater and the pump upon failure of the scanner to read anauthorized code on the container.

The invention may alternatively be embodied by or practiced using anapparatus engageable with a container of pet food for preparing the petfood and having a steam generation chamber, a first fluid transferdevice in liquid communication with the steam generation chamber, afirst heater in thermal communication with the steam generation chamber,a first conduit for liquid communication from the steam generationchamber to the container, a water heating chamber, a second fluidtransfer device in liquid communication with the water heating chamber,a second heater in thermal communication with the water heating chamber,a third fluid transfer device in liquid communication with the waterheating chamber, a second conduit for liquid communication from theheating chamber through the third fluid transfer device to thecontainer, a scanner configured to read a pet food identifier on thecontainer, a controller, and a thermostat. The scanner may be adapted tocommunicate the read pet food identifier to the controller. Thecontroller may be adapted to obtain or determine from the read pet foodidentifier a steam volume, a hot water temperature, a hot water volume,a steeping time, and a resting time. The first fluid transfer device maybe adapted to selectively enable or deliver a first volume of water intothe steam generation chamber, the first heater may be adapted to heatthe first volume of water in the steam generation chamber into steam ofthe determined steam volume. The first conduit may be adapted toselectively deliver the determined steam volume from the steamgeneration chamber to the container. The second fluid transfer devicemay be adapted to selectively enable or deliver a second volume of waterinto the heating chamber. The second heater may be adapted to heat thesecond volume of water in the heating chamber to the determined hotwater temperature. The third fluid transfer device may be adapted toselectively enable or deliver the determined hot water volume from theheating chamber through the second conduit to the container. Thecontroller may be adapted to control the first and second heaters andthe first, second, and third fluid transfer devices. And the controllermay be adapted to do one or both of disable the apparatus and causeindication that the food is prepared at the end of the determinedresting time.

The controller may be adapted to obtain the steam volume, hot watertemperature, hot water volume, steeping time, and resting timewirelessly from an external database.

The apparatus may further include first and second piercers adapted forpiercing the container and the steam and hot water volumes are deliveredto the container through their associated piercer. The apparatus mayhave a base adapted to support the container and a lid movable relativethereto from a closed state wherein the container may not be removedfrom the base and an open state wherein the container may be removedfrom the base.

The apparatus may further include comprising a latch to selectively lockthe lid in the closed state. The lid may house the piercers and movementof the lid from the open state to the closed state causes the piercersto pierce the container. The conduits may also include their associatedpiercers.

The base may house the scanner. The pet food identifier may be one froma group of authorized codes, and the apparatus may be adapted to disablethe heater and the pump upon failure of the scanner to read anauthorized code on the container.

The invention may alternatively be embodied by or practiced using anapparatus for preparing pet food having a base, a lid, a scanner, and acontroller. The base may support a container of the pet food and the lidmay be moveable relative to the base between an open state for allowingaccess to the container and a closed state for preventing access. Thescanner may read a pet food identifier on the container and communicatesthat identifier to the controller; and the controller may obtain foodpreparation parameters from an external database and cause the apparatusto then prepare the pet food according thereto.

Further features of the invention will become apparent upon perusal ofthe disclosure herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fresh-serve pet food system accordingto a first exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the system of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6A through 6E are a series of sequential views of the steps usedto make fresh pet food using the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional top view of the system of FIG. 1 duringstirring;

FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of the stirring mechanism of thesystem of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of the steps used to make fresh pet food usingthe system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a is a perspective view of a fresh-serve pet food systemaccording to a second exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a front view of the system of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a top view of the system of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a side view of the system of FIG. 10;

FIG. 14 is an exploded view of the system of FIG. 10;

FIGS. 15A through 15C are a series of sequential views of the steps usedto make fresh pet food using the system of FIG. 10;

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional side view of the system of FIG. 10;

FIG. 17 is a partial exploded view of the system of FIG. 10;

FIG. 18 is a flow diagram of the steps used to make fresh pet food usingthe system of FIG. 10;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a fresh-serve pet food system accordingto a third exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 20 is an exploded view of the system of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is an exploded cross sectional view of the system of FIG. 19;

FIG. 22 is a cross sectional view of the system of FIG. 19 with its lidclosed;

FIG. 23 is a cross sectional view of the system of FIG. 19 with its lidopen;

FIG. 24 is a rear perspective partial view of the base of the system ofFIG. 19;

FIG. 25 is a front perspective partial exploded view of the base of thesystem of FIG. 19;

FIG. 26 is a bottom view of the system of FIG. 19 with its bottom coverremoved;

FIG. 27 is a top perspective view of the heating chamber of the systemof FIG. 19;

FIG. 28 is a bottom perspective exploded view of the heating chamber ofthe system of FIG. 19;

FIG. 29 is a top perspective exploded view of the heating chamber of thesystem of FIG. 19;

FIG. 30 is an exploded view of the lid of the system of FIG. 19;

FIG. 31 is a cross-sectioned perspective view of the water tank of thesystem of FIG. 19;

FIG. 32 is a series of top perspective views of food cups for the systemof FIG. 19;

FIG. 33 is a series of bottom perspective views of food cups for thesystem of FIG. 19;

FIG. 34 is a partially cross sectioned view of a food cup for the systemof FIG. 19;

FIG. 35 is a system flow diagram for the system of FIG. 19;

FIG. 36 is a first portion of a controller function diagram for thesystem of FIG. 19; and

FIG. 37 is a second portion of the controller function diagram for thesystem of FIG. 19.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Referring first to FIGS. 1 through 9, a first exemplary fresh-serve petfood maker 100 is shown. The maker has a base 102, a food bowl 104, astirrer 128 and a water tank 106. The base is adapted to receive thewater tank, the food bowl/stirrer and the food cup 108 as explainedbelow and depicted in the figures. The base has a control panel 110which provides a user interface for operation.

Water tank 106 is initially filled with water either by removing thetank from the base and removing the tank's lid 114 as in FIG. 5, fillingthe tank at a tap, and returning the tank to the base, or by removingthe lid and carrying the entire maker to the tap for filling, or byfilling with an auxiliary pitcher or such (not shown). Food cup 108 hasone of a variety of volumes according to the pet's diet and is providedfilled with loose pet food 118 and sealed with a foil top 120.

The pet food is made of wholesome ingredients, including meats, grains,vegetables, and broths, all free-dried at their peak of freshness andimmediately vacuum sealed into the cup. Once re-hydrated, the food ismore healthful, fresh, and delicious, than any other pet food in themarket. The food may otherwise be some other type, such as dehydratedpet food in need of rehydration or raw pet food in need of cooking.

The base's lever 122 is lifted as in FIG. 6A. Stirrer 128 is placed overthe peripheral lip of the food bowl and the bowl is then placed on thebase's octagonal turn table 116 as in FIG. 6B. The underside of the bowlhas an octagonal recess (not shown) which engages the turn table. Thecup is then placed top-side-down into bottomless cup receiver 124 sothat the cup receiver's annular serrated blade 126 contacts the foil topas in FIG. 6C. As lever 122 is then pushed back down as shown in FIG.6D, it forces the serrated blade to pierce the foil top, which flapsdownwardly open to release the food from the cup. The blade has a gap inits circular edge, which prevents the blade from completely severing thetop form the cup, and so the top remains connected to the cup only inthe small zone avoided by the gap. This allows the weight of the loosedry pet food to force down and open the top, and allows the food to fallthrough the open-bottomed cup receiver and into the food bowl, butretains the top attached to the cup for later discarding together . . .and prevents the top form also falling into the bowl where it otherwisecould interfere with stirring and be dangerously consumed by the pet.The press plate may be lifted at any subsequent time to retrieve anddiscard the spent food cup.

The cups are provided in a variety of recipes and volumes so that largeramounts of food may be served to larger pets, or a plurality of smallercups may be deposited into the bowl.

The water tank engages valve 113 when it is properly disposed on thebase to allow water to be available to the pump when energized. The unitis then powered on, whereby it will wait in “standby” mode for userinput before it proceeds as shown in FIG. 6E and in the flow chart ofFIG. 9.

Control panel 110 communicates with water pump 130, heater 131, andturntable motor 132 through a smart controller integral with the controlpanel. The cup size or quantity being used is next entered by the userso that the controller can determine the amount of water that will berequired, and that amount of water is then pumped from tank 106 throughenergized heater 131 and into the food in bowl 104 through conduit 136as seen in FIG. 6E. The heater is a tubular heater in series with theconduit and heats the water as it flows therethrough, according to theenergy it selectively provides, and without requiring any delay to bringthe entire volume of water to temperature. This allows the controller toheat the water to different temperatures as needed. The initial blast isvery hot water of a temperature over 140 F, which may be in the form ofsteam, which penetrates the dried food and then steeps for a definedperiod of time as the controller waits. This efficiently rehydrates andcooks the food, and kills any undesirable bacteria or germs, such assalmonella or E-coli. This also brings freeze-dried food back to itspre-freeze-dried consistency and flavor, brings dehydrated food back toits pre-dehydrated consistency and flavor, and cooks raw food.

It should be apparent that, while this exemplary embodiment employs amotorized water pump, numerous equivalent means may otherwise be used tomove the water, such as gravity, thermal expansion (as used in commondrip coffee makers), a piston, or any other known means, and that asused herein, the term “water pump” is not intended to be limited to onlya motorized water pump, but is intended to encompass any such equivalentmeans.

While adding the steam and during steeping, the controller energizesmotor 132 to cause turntable 116 to rotate, by the engagement of geartrain 137, to cause a slow rotation of the turntable as shown in FIG. 7.The stirrer 138 comes into engagement with the base as the bowl turns,to become stationary and to thereby stir the food and water together inthe rotating bowl as shown in FIG. 8. This fully mixes the food andwater. The bowl rotates at approximately 4 RPM.

While the bowl continues to turn and stirring thereby continues, thecontroller again energizes pump 130 and heater 131, but this time sendsless energy to the heater and pumps more water into the food. This wateris stirred into the rotating food for one more minute to wet the foodand create a delicious and gravy, and to give the food a moisturecontent that is easier to consume and digest.

This second dose of water is heated only to a temperature that, whenmixed into the hot food already in the bowl, will cool the food backdown to a serving temperature of between 95 F and 105 F. Studies haveshown that dogs and cats, having evolved from predators, prefer to eatfood within that temperature range because it mimics the temperature ofa “fresh kill”. While the initially higher temperature allows the mosteffective cooking and re-hydration of the food, it is too hot to beserved as it would burn the pet's mouth and be otherwise undesirable.And while the cooler second dose of water results in food that is morereadily edible, it is not hot enough to sanitize and cook the food. So,this two-step moistening technique is uniquely capable of serving petfood that is both properly and safely prepared, as well as deliciouslyand safely served.

Rotation of the turntable then stops, a “ready” lamp is energized toindicate the cycle is completed, and the food bowl may now be removedand presented to the pet for feeding. The entire preparation, fromloading the appliance to serving the prepared food to the pet, requiresonly three minutes, more or less.

Referring next to FIGS. 10 through 18, a second exemplary fresh-servepet food maker 200 is shown. The maker has a base 202, a food cup 208,and a water tank 206. In this embodiment, the meal is prepared in theright-side-up food cup and then served from the cup into some othermeans, such as into a separate food bowl (not shown). The base isadapted to receive the water tank and the food cup as shown. The basehas a control panel 210 which provides a user interface for operation.

The lid 214 is removed ant the water tank 206 is filled with watersimilarly to the first embodiment. The water tank engages valve 213 asit is placed on the base, to allow water to be available to the pumpwhen energized.

Food cup 208, which may be the same as the food cup of the firstembodiment, has one of a variety of volumes according to the pet's diet,and contains the food as earlier described. Also as earlier described,the food is sealed in the cup by a foil top 220.

The base's lever 222 is lifted as in FIG. 15A. The cup is then slidtop-side-up into cup receiving slot 224 as in FIG. 15B. As lever 222 isthen pushed back down as shown in FIG. 15C, it forces the lever'spiercing spouts 226A and 226B (which are best seen in FIG. 17) throughthe foil top.

The unit is then powered on, whereby it will wait in “standby” mode foruser input before it proceeds. Control panel 210 communicates with waterpump 230 and heater 231 through a smart controller integral with thecontrol panel.

The cup size is next selected by the user so that the controller candetermine the amount of water that will be required. Some water is nextpumped from tank 206 through valve 213 and conduit 236, and into heater231, where it is heated at high energy into steam (or water having atemperature over 140 F). The steam flows into cup 208 through intakespout 226A to moisten and/or cook the food therein through spout 226A.Vent spout 226B allows air to escape the cup in proportion the volume ofsteam taken in.

After a one minute pause time, which could be adjustable to a differenttime period as short as 30 seconds according to other factors such asfood type, to allow the steam to fully penetrate, re-hydrate, and/orcook the food, the controller causes more water to be pumped intothrough heater 231, where it is heated with less energy, and into cup208 to fully wet the food therein for serving. Again, as in the firstembodiment, the second dose of water is only heated to a temperaturethat will result in a final food temperature of between 95 F and 105 F.The controller pauses for another minute before a “ready” lamp isenergized to indicate the water has had sufficient time to consistentlymoisten all of the food, and that the cycle is now completed and thefood is ready for serving. The lever is then lifted, and the food cupmay now be removed, its foil top peeled off, and its contents pouredinto a pet food bowl or such and presented to the pet for feeding.Again, the entire cycle from loading the appliance to serving the foodonly requires three minutes, more or less.

Referring to FIG. 19 through 36 a third exemplary embodiment is shown,which includes means for recognizing the contents of a container andpreparing the pet food therein according to those contents. While thisfeature is disclosed only in the third embodiment, it should beappreciated that this feature could be similarly employed by the earliertwo embodiments.

The third exemplary fresh-serve pet food making appliance 300 has a base302, a lid 304, a water tank 306, and a food cup 308. In thisembodiment, the meal is prepared in the right-side-up food cup and thenserved from the cup into some other means, such as into a separate foodserving bowl (not shown). The base is adapted to receive the water tankand the food cup as shown. The base has a single push-button activationswitch 310 which communicates with a controller 311 to provide aone-step user interface for operation.

The food cup is available in multiple sizes, some of which are shown inFIG. 32. All of the cups have the same top diameter and the same angleof taper to a smaller bottom diameter which varies according to thecup's volume. The food cup consists of a cup portion 308A whichinitially holds an amount of unprepared pet food 308B and has a sealedcover 308C over the top diameter. The cover may be made of foil or athin plastic sheet which hermetically seals the food within the cupportion as seen in FIG. 34. As seen in FIG. 33, the outside bottom ofeach cup portion is marked with a printed UPC code 308D, unique to eachof a variety of food cups. The UPC code may not only be used forpre-consumer inventory purposes but is also used by the appliance toidentify the size and contents of the food cup, as will be explainedlater.

The lid 304 is lifted relative to the base about hinge 305 and the watertank 306 is removed and filled with water, such as at a tap. Springs andmechanism within the lid hold it temporarily in its open upwardposition. The appliance is electrically disabled when the lid is liftedto prevent inappropriate operation by a switch 323 which is mountedwithin one of the base and lid and engaged by the other during relativemovement between the two. When the lid is lifted, the switch is open andthe appliance is disabled. When the lid is closed back down to itsnormal operating position, the switch is closed to enable selectiveoperation of the appliance.

The water tank includes float-enhanced magnet 315A, which moves up anddown according the level of water in the tank and communicatesmagnetically with magnetic switch 315B disposed within the base todisable the appliance when the water tank lacks sufficient water forproper operation. The water holding portion of the water tank surroundsan integrally formed central food cup pocket 326 for positioning andretaining the food cup. Alternatively, the food cup pocket could beintegrated directly into the base. Either way, it is understood that thebase supports the food cup either directly or indirectly through itssupport of the tank.

When returned to the base, the normally closed tank valve 313A disposedon the bottom surface of the water tank engages and communicates withvalve actuating post 313B of the base, to allow water to flow from thetank through conduit tubings to the inputs of water check valve 317 andsteam check valve 319, both of which only allow water to flow away fromthe tank but not back towards the tank. The outlet of water check valvecommunicates through additional conduit tubing with a fluid transferdevice and then on to the heating chamber 312 disposed within the base,and the outlet of the steam valve communicates through still-additionalconduit tubing with another fluid transfer device and then on to thesteam generating chamber 314, which is disposed within the heatingchamber as best seen in FIG. 29 and shares a common metallic bottomsurface therewith.

Upon instruction from the controller, the heating chamber is heated bywater-heating PTC heater 316 and the steam generating chamber isselectively heated by steam generating PTC heater 318. The PTC heatersare mounted against the underside of the metallic bottom surface with athermally-conductive paste sandwiched between to enhance thermalconductivity from the heaters to the chambers so that when one of thePTCs is energized the water in the associated chamber is heated intoeither hot water or steam, respectively. NTC device 321 is mountedagainst the metallic bottom surface and employed as a thermostat tocommunicate with the controller and monitor and control the temperaturewithin the heating chamber by controlling operation of PTC 316.Operation of PTC 318 to produce steam is controlled by a timer withincontroller 311.

The outlets of the aforementioned fluid transfer devices communicatewith the chambers to enable the output of the product of the associatedchamber to the container. The fluid transfer devices may be in the formof a pump where needed, or simply a valve where possible. In thedescribed embodiment, the inlet of the heating chamber is connected byconduit tubing 322A to the outlet of tap water pump 320, and conduittubing 322B connects the heating chamber to water spout 324 through hotwater pump 327. The water spout hangs downwardly from the underside ofthe lid and, when the lid is closed, into food cup pocket 326 of thewater tank. Similarly, the inlet of the steam generating chamber isconnected by conduit tubing 332A to the outlet of steam pump 330, andconduit tubing 332B connects the outlet of this pump to steam spout 334,which also hangs downwardly from the underside of the lid and, when thelid is closed, into food cup pocket.

Both spouts are piercers that have sharp hollow tips similar to ahypodermic needle and are configured to pierce cover 308C when a foodcup is placed into the food cup pocket and the lid is pushed down intois closed operation position, as best seen in FIG. 22, so that theheating chamber and steam generating chamber are now in fluidcommunication with the unprepared food 308B.

When the user presses switch 310 a single time, the food preparationproceeds to completion unless a problem is realized. First, controller311 is activated and causes scanner 340 to scan for UPC code 308D toconfirm that an authorized food cup is properly positioned within thefood cup pocket and, if so confirmed, the controller enables selectiveoperation of the appliance. If no cup is in place, or if anon-authorized food cup is in place, or if the placement of the cup issomehow improper, the appliance remains disabled and red indicator 342flashes. The lid remains unlocked and may be lifted to re-position orreplace the cup. If an authorized cup is recognized by the scanner,operation begins as follows.

The lid is locked in its closed position and green indicator 344 glowscontinuously. The controller consults a database to obtain preparationinstructions associated with the specific UPC code scanned. Thisdatabase may be stored within the appliance's memory or may be heldexternally and consulted by the controller via wireless means. Forinstance, the external database may exist in the Cloud and may beconsulted through direct wireless internet connection. Or the databasemay exist in a smart phone application that can be downloaded to theuser's smart phone and may be consulted by the controller through meanssuch as Bluetooth. Such external data bases may be automatically updatedas new food cup types and foods are introduced. In such wirelessarrangements, the controller includes a wireless transmitter/receiver.

The preparation instructions include water volumes for hot water andsteam generation, hot water temperature, and timing instructionsintended to be used by the appliance to control the fluid transferdevices, PTCs, lid latch (if included), and indicators.

The red and green indicators alert the user whether 1) an authorizedfood cup is properly positioned, 2) the lid is properly closed, and 3)the water tank contains a sufficient amount of water. If any of theseconditions are not found, the appliance is either completely disabled orthe red indicator is made to glow or flash. If all of these conditionsare found, the green indicator is made to glow continuously, and foodpreparation begins as follows;

-   -   1) Lid latch (if present) is energized to lock the lid in its        closed position.    -   2) The steam pump 330 is energized to open for a period of time        determined from the preparation instructions such that a proper        volume of water flows from the water tank to the steam chamber,        and the tap water pump 320 is energized for a period of time        determined from the preparation instructions such that a proper        volume of unheated water flows from the water tank to the        heating chamber.    -   3) The steam generating PTC is energized for a period of time        determined from the preparation instructions as necessary to        convert all of the water therein into steam, and the hot water        PTC is energized and the water within the hot water chamber is        heated until that chamber's NTC senses that the water within has        reached a temperature determined from the preparation        instructions.    -   3) Once the steam has been generated, it flows by its own        pressure into the food cup through the steam spout to saturate        and cook food 308B.    -   4) A steeping time period determined from the preparation        instructions is initiated during which the food steeps in the        steam.    -   5) Once the steeping period has passed, hot water pump 327 is        energized to send the heated water into the food cup through the        hot water spout to reduce the temperature of the now-cooked food        to a tolerable temperature level and to optimally wet the cooked        food, such as to create a gravy.    -   6) A resting time period determined from the preparation        instructions is initiated during which the temperature and        moisture of the cook food homogenizes.    -   7) Once the resting period has passed, the green indicator is        made to flash to indicate that the food is now ready for serving        to the pet and the lid latch (if present) is de-energized to        allow the user to open the lid and remove the food cup.    -   8) Reopening of the lid causes the controller to reset and be        ready for a possible next food cup.

The food cup is available from the manufacturer in a variety of sizesand with a variety of food ingredients. The food ingredients may beformulated according to pet age or dietary needs. The food amount andcup size may be according to a range of pet ages or weights. The foodsmay be freeze dried meats or vegetables, or may be composites.

A possible accessory is anticipated in the form of a re-usable food cuphaving a removable cover with holes alignable with the spouts andspecial UPC code and into which a user may place their pet's favoriteoff-the-shelf pet food. The smart phone app could allow the user toprogram special preparation instructions for that food according totheir pet's liking for automatic execution when that special UPC code isscanned.

It is also anticipated that either or both of the check valve/pump pairsbefore the chambers could be integrated together into a single fluidtransfer device.

In an alternate fourth embodiment (not shown) the water tank could bedisposed atop the appliance with the food cup disposed lower, generallysimilar to the second embodiment of FIGS. 10-17, and water from the tankcould be fed to the heating chamber, steam chamber, and ultimately tothe spouts through gravity . . . thereby allowing replacement of thepumps of the third embodiment with just valves that selectively deny orallow flow under the influence of gravity.

And it is anticipated that the code may alternatively be a proprietarycode rather than a standard UPC bar code.

While the forgoing provides exemplary embodiments are meant todemonstrate key aspects and advantages of the invention, it should beunderstood that the invention is not meant to be limited thereto. Theinvention should be limited only by the following claims, including allequivalents thereto.

We claim:
 1. An apparatus engageable with a container of pet food forpreparing the pet food and comprising; a steam generation chamber; aheater; a scanner configured to read only a UPC Bar Code on thecontainer; a programmed database disposed remotely or within theapparatus: a conduit for liquid communication from the steam generationchamber to the container; a fluid transfer device in fluid communicationwith the steam generation chamber; and a controller connected bycircuitry to the heater, scanner, and fluid transfer device; wherein thescanner is adapted to communicate the read UPC Bar Code to thecontroller; the controller is adapted to obtain or determine from theread UPC Bar Code, and from consultation with the programmed database, asteam volume and a steeping time; the fluid transfer device is adaptedto selectively enable or deliver a volume of water to the steamgeneration chamber; the heater is adapted to heat the volume of water inthe steam generation chamber into steam; the conduit is adapted toselectively deliver the determined steam volume from the steamgeneration chamber to the container; the controller is adapted tocontrol the heater and the fluid transfer device; and the controller isadapted to do one or both of disable the apparatus and cause indicationthat the food is prepared at the end of the determined steeping time;and wherein the UPC Bar Code is one from a group of authorized codescontained within the programmed database, and the controller is adaptedthrough information or instructions obtained by the consultation withthe programmed database, to disable one or more of the heater and thefluid transfer device upon failure of the scanner to read an authorizedcode from the database on the container, and a base comprises thescanner, wherein the base adapted to support an unheated removable watertank; and wherein the container and the UPC Bar Code is located insidethe unheated removable water tank.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 whereinthe controller is adapted to obtain the steam volume and the steepingtime wirelessly from an external database.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2further comprising a piercer adapted for piercing the container and thesteam volume is delivered to the container through the piercer.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 3 wherein a lid movable relative thereto from aclosed state wherein the container is not removed from the base and anopen state wherein the container is removed from the base.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 4 further comprising a latch to selectively lock thelid in the closed state.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the lidcomprises the piercer and movement of the lid from the open state to theclosed state causes the piercer to pierce the container.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 6 wherein the conduit also comprises the piercer. 8.An apparatus engageable with a container of pet food for preparing thepet food and comprising: a steam generation chamber; a first fluidtransfer device in liquid communication with the steam generationchamber; a first heater in thermal communication with the steamgeneration chamber; a first conduit for liquid communication from thesteam generation chamber to the container; a water heating chamber; asecond fluid transfer device in liquid communication with the waterheating chamber; a second heater in thermal communication with the waterheating chamber; a third fluid transfer device in liquid communicationwith the water heating chamber; a second conduit for liquidcommunication from the heating chamber through the third fluid transferdevice to the container; a scanner configured to read only a UPC BarCode on the container; a programmed database disposed remotely or withinthe apparatus; a controller; and a thermostat; wherein the scanner isadapted to communicate the read UPC Bar Code, and from consultation withthe programmed database, to the controller; the controller is adapted toobtain or determine from the read UPC Bar Code a steam volume, a hotwater temperature, a hot water volume, a steeping time, and a restingtime; the first fluid transfer device is adapted to selectively enableor deliver a first volume of water into the steam generation chamber;the first heater is adapted to heat the first volume of water in thesteam generation chamber into steam of the determined steam volume; thefirst conduit is adapted to selectively deliver the determined steamvolume from the steam generation chamber to the container; the secondfluid transfer device is adapted to selectively enable or deliver asecond volume of water into the heating chamber; the second heater isadapted to heat the second volume of water in the heating chamber to thedetermined hot water temperature; the third fluid transfer device isadapted to selectively enable or deliver the determined hot water volumefrom the heating chamber through the second conduit to the container;the controller is adapted to control the first and second heaters andthe first, second, and third fluid transfer devices; and the controlleris adapted to do one or both of disable the apparatus and causeindication that the food is prepared at the end of the determinedresting time; and wherein the UPC Bar Code is one from a group ofauthorized codes, and the controller is adapted, through information orinstructions obtained by the consultation with the programmed database,to disable one or more of the heaters and the fluid transfer devicesupon failure of the scanner to read an authorized code from the databaseon the container, and a base comprises the scanner, wherein the baseadapted to support an unheated removable water tank; and wherein thecontainer and the UPC Bar Code is located inside the unheated removablewater tank.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the controller isadapted to obtain the steam volume, hot water temperature, hot watervolume, steeping time, and resting time wirelessly from an externaldatabase.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein further comprise firstand second piercers adapted for piercing the container and the steam andhot water volumes are delivered to the container through theirassociated piercer.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein a lid movablerelative thereto from a closed state wherein the container is notremoved from the base and an open state wherein the container is removedfrom the base.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a latchto selectively lock the lid in the closed state.
 13. The apparatus ofclaim 11 wherein the lid comprises the piercers and movement of the lidfrom the open state to the closed state causes the piercers to piercethe container.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the conduits alsocomprise the associated piercers.